A Retrospective Study of Association of Hypertension and Socio Economic Status

 

Hina Kausar1*, Bhagwan Ambhore1, Dhekale Dilip N.1, Mohammed Ubaid-Ur-Rahaman2

1Assistant Professor, Community Medicine, Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College, Jalgaon Kh. (MS)

2Medical Officer, Central Railway Hospital, Bhusawal.(MS)

 

 

ABSTRACT:

Back Ground: Roughly half of all heart attacks and strokes come out of the people with no diagnosed heart disease, so identifying risk factors early in healthy people is a must to delay disease and prevent death.

Material and method: The study is retrospective in nature and was conducted in Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar (A.P.) The data was collected in a pre drawn and pre tested proforma from June 2010 to May 2011. etc.

Statistical analysis: Simple proportion and chi square test was applied as and when required.

Observations and Discussion: Prevalence of hypertension was more in upper class 26.66%, and as socioeconomic status decreases prevalence of hypertension decreases. The difference was found to be statistically significant (x2= 25.56, d.f = 2, p=0.0000028).

Conclusion and recommendations: Statistically significant association was observed between socioeconomic status and Hypertension. Modifiable factors played an important role in causing hypertension along with some biological factors like obesity, diabetes etc. The impact of these factors can be minimized by changing their life style like spend at least 30 minutes exercise every day, reduction in body weight etc.

 

KEYWORDS: Socio economic status, Hypertension.

 

INTRODUCTION:

People in smaller cities smoked and eat more fatty food and less fresh fruits and vegetables, metro-residents tend to be less active. BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol were uniformly high, with people doing little to lower their risk. The data further reveals that even among literate middle-class urban Indians, awareness and control rates of risk factors was low, for example, roughly one in three people surveyed had hypertension. Among those with diagnosed hypertension, 40% were on medicine to lower it but 25%had it under control. In comparison ,high income countries, 60 % people with diagnosed high blood pressure have it controlled, reported researchers at the world conference of cardiology, by keeping in mind the above facts and as per recommendations of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) study group in 1957,that in order to get a comprehensive picture of a disease , more and more such studies have to be carried out, Garg Narenra K(1) and Garg Narenra K. and Sharma A.B (2) the authors have under taken this study with the objective to know the association of hypertension with socio economic status of working women.

 

MATERIALS AND METHOD:

The study is retrospective in nature and an institutional based study. This study was conducted in Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences (CAIMS), Karimnagar (A.P.) The data was collected in a pre drawn and pre tested proforma from June 2010 to May 2011.


A list of all working women in CAIMS was obtained from the administrative department. There were 318 working women. Eighteen women did not respond/cooperated in study hence they were excluded from the study. Thus total sample size was three hundred, out of these only eighteen working women were found suffering from hypertension. Thus effective sample size was only eighteen. For each subject complete general and systemic examination was carried out.

Statistical analysis: Simple proportion and chi square test was applied as and when required.

 

HYPERTENSION:

Hypertension is defined as sustained increase in systolic BP of 140mm Hg or more and diastolic BP 90mmHg or more.

 

Classification of Blood Pressure for adults, JNC -VII guide line post graduate Medicine , 2004(3).

JNC7BP categories

JNC6BP categories

SBP mm of Hg

And /or

DBP mm of Hg

Normal

--

<120

And

<80

Pre Hypertension

Optimal

120 – 139

Or

80-89

 

Normal

<130

And

<85

 

High Normal

130-139

Or

85-89

Hypertension

Hypertension

--

----

----

Stage -I

Stage –I

140-159

Or

90-99

Stage –II

__

> 160

Or

> 100

--

Stage –II

160-179

Or

100-109

--

Stage –III

> 180

Or

> 110

 

Socioeconomic Status (4)

Per capita income was calculated by dividing total monthly income of family by total units in the family. Children below 12 years of age were considered as half unit and children below 1 year was considered as zero units. Socioeconomic classification suggested by Prasad B.G (1961) was adopted and modified for consumer price index of the year April 2010. Based on the per capita per month income, it was modified as

 

Multiplication Factor: - 677 × 4.93/100

= 33.3761 rounded to 33.

(AICPI April 2010 = 677)

Thus, modified Socioeconomic Scale was as follows

Class I = Rs. >100 * 33 = Rs. > 3300

Class II = Rs. 50-99 * 33 = Rs. 1650-3299

Class III= Rs.30-49 * 33 = Rs. 990-1649

Class IV = Rs.15-29 * 33 = Rs. 495-989

Class V = Rs. <15 * 33 = Rs. < 495

 

OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION:

After analysis of the collected data and after statistical analysis it was observed that out of three hundred participants only 18 (6.00%) were hypertensive. Table ( I ) further reveals that out of eighteen, 08 (44.44%) belong to upper socio economic status, while 07 (38.88%) and 03 (16.60%) belong to middle and low socio economic status respectively (Table-I).

 

Table-I An association of hypertension and socio economic status

SES

Hypertension

Total

Yes

No

Upper

08(26.66%)

22(73.34%)

30 (10%)

Middle

07(4.375%)

153(95.63%)

160 (53.33%)

Lower

   03 (2.7%)

107(97.3%)

110 (36.66%)

Total

   18

282

300

 

Prevalence of hypertension was more in upper class and as socioeconomic status decreases prevalence of hypertension decreases. The difference found to be statistically significant (x2= 25.56, d.f = 2, p=0.0000028). WHO(5) described a higher prevalence of hypertension had been noted in upper socioeconomic group.

 

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

From above observations and discussion, the authors reached to the conclusion that there was a definite association between hypertension and socio economic status. The authors recommend that change in the life style like spend at least 30 minutes in exercise like brisk walking etc. every day, reduction in body weight and consumption of high fibre diet. 

 

REFERENCES:

1.       Garg Narendra K.: Evaluation of the impact of emesis and emesis plus purgation Therapy; Research J Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics:2 (2) March-April;2010:201-202.

2.       Garg Narendra K and Sharma A.B. : Epidemiological profile of patients attending a tertiary care hospital,Muktsar,Punjab (India); Research J Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics:3 (6) November-December;2011:311-317

3.       JNC 7 guidelines and Indian scenario chapter 17, Apicon Postgraduate Medicine: Vol.18 :2004.

4.       61. Kulkarni AP and Baride JP. Text book of community medicine, Vora medical publications, Mumbai, 3rd edition, 2007

5.       WHO (1996). Techn. Rep. Ser, No.862.

 

Received on 07.03.2013

Modified on 22.05.2013

Accepted on 10.06.2013

© A&V Publication all right reserved

Research J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics. 5(4): July–August 2013, 218-219